schultz



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

L. SGHULTZ. MACHINE FOR GUTTING THREADS.

Irq/ afar' frime Nunms evans C0.. Monrurna., wAsmNuToN, u. c.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. L. SOHULTZ. MACHINE FOR CUTTING THREADS.

No. 456,739. Patented July 28, 1891.

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(No Model.) 3 sheets-sheet 3. L. SGHULTZ. MACHINE FOR CUTTING THREADS.

Patented July 28, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

LOUIS SOHULTZ, OF NEV YORK, Nl Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE EXCELSIOR QUILTING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING THREADS.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 456,739, dated July 2B, 1891.

Application filed July 3, 1890. Serial No. 357,625. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS SCHULTZ, of New York, in the county and State of New York, have` invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Machines for Cutting Threads Used in Quilting Fabrics, of which the following is a specification.

There is in common use a certain style of quilting-machine which produces rows of fanciful figures by a movement of the carriage containing feed-rollers whereby the fabrics are held, and which periodically have the motion of the carriage suspended and motion given to the feed-rollers to feed the fabric suitably for presenting a new surface to be decorated with the figures by the renewed movement of the carriage. During the motion of the feed-rollers,while the motion of the carriage is suspended, the sewing mechanism remains inert, and consequently no threads are carried over the fabric between the rows of figures which are produced by the movement of the carriage.

It is the objectof my present improvement to provide a machine which will cut away the loose threads that are formed in a quiltingmachine of the type referred to by the suspen sion of the operation of the sewing mechanism and carriage and the feeding of the fabric through the agency of the :feed-rollers.

I will describe a thread-cutting machine embodying my improvement, and then point out the novel features in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal section taken at about the plane of the dotted line @c m, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section taken at the plane of the dotted line l/ y, Fig. l, certain parts being omitted. Fig. S is a face view of a portion of quilted fabric of the kind which has threads to be cut in this machine. This view also includes certain parts of the machine. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a transverse section of the quilted fabric and including hooks which form part of the machine in different positions in bold outline and in dotted outline. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a transverse section of the quilted fabric and one of the aforesaid hooksraised. Ita-lso includes certain other parts of the machine.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A designates a bed or table consisting` essentially, of two side frames a', connected by stretchers d2, and having extended between their front portions a platform ai, made,pret` erably, of boards. The quilted fabric is passed over this table and under a nu mberof hooks B. It may be placed upon a reel or roller O and drawn over the table by means of feed-rollers O C2 and taken up by a reel or roller C3. The reels or rollers O C3 are shown as supported in open top bearings provided iu the side frames of the table, so as to be removable. The take-up roller C3 may be rotated to take up the fabric by any suitable mechanism. The feed-rollers are shown arranged in standards C4, erected on the side frames of the table. They are geared together at one end by gear-wheels c and derive motion from a pawl c', engaging witha ratchet-wheel c2, which is afiixed to the rollerO. Thepawl c is pivotally connected with one end of a lever c, which is fulcrumed between its ends in one of the standards 0*, and atthe upper end is connected to a spring c5, which is fastened to a cross-bar A', which is supported from the side frames of thetableand extends over the top of the table. A shaft D, supported by brackets fastened to the cross-bar A', has affixed to it the arms d, which as the shaft rotates contact with the upper end of the lever c upon a friction-wheel ci, secured thereto, and oscillate the lever in such inanner that the pawl c will be caused to impart a rotary motion to the ratchet-wheel c2, and consequently to the two feed-rollers. The motion of the feed-rollers is of course intermittent. The standard C", in which the lever c3 is fulcrumed, is extended to form a stop c4, whereby the movement of the lever under the influence of the spring ci will be limited. A stop-pawl c, coacting with the ratchet-wheel`c2, prevents the movement of the feed-rollers in the wrong direction. The shaft l) is rotated from the driving-shaft E of the machine through gear-wheels c' e2, which are affixed to the two shafts. rllhe driving-shaft is journaled in the side frames of the table and has a driving-pulley E20 IOC affixed to one end. Beneath thehooks there is a section d5 of the table-top, which will be preferably made of metal, because it has in it a recess d", extendingl right across the range of hooks B. At the bottom of this recess there is a slot a7, which extends from the re cess right through lthe under side of the tabletop. It is used in connection with slits extending lengthwise of the machine to facilitate the introduction of band-saws, which will be presently described.

The hooks B are connected to a bar B. Their hooked portions are at the lower extremities. At the top are heads l), between which and the bar B springs b are coiled. Preferably washers will be arranged between the springs and the bar. These springs are simply to afford a slight yielding movement to the hooksin the direction of their shanks or bodies. The bar B is connected with rods b2, which are intended to work vertically in brackets b3, which are secured to a plate B2, that is fitted to slide lengthwise in the crossbar A of the machine, and consequently transversely to the length of the machine. On the rods b2 are secured collars b", which are provided with anti-friction rollers b5 to coact with cams b, which are mounted on a ro-` tary shaft B4. This shaft B4 is journaled n the brackets b3 and is carried by them. It also has a bearing in a bracket ZF, which is fastened to the sliding plate B2. A pinion bs is secured to this shaft B4, and is made wide enough so that it may maintain engagement willi the gearwheel c2 of the shaft VD, notwithstandingritsV movement with the shaft B4 widthwise of the machine. The cams bo are so set that during the intermissions between the movements of the feed-rollers they will first lower the hooks, and thereby cause a depression of the quilted fabric into the recess as, formed in the section a5 of the table-top. The weight of the hooks is sufficient to effect the depression of the quilted fabric when the bar B is lowered. The friction between them and the bar also aids them in depressing the fabric.

The depression of the fabric by the hooks B occurs when a portion of the fabric traversed by the threads or portions of threads c, Fig. 3, is beneath the hooks, and the depression of the fabric brings the extremities of the hooks on a lower plane than the threads fu. The cams b are so shaped as to lteep the hooks depressed for some little time. Vhile they are depressed the sliding plate B2 is moved in such direction as to cause the extremities of the hooks to slip Vunder the threads t'. This motion of the sliding plate B2is effected by means of a circumferentiallygrooved cam B5, affixed to the shaft D. By reference to Fig. l it will be seen that this groove deviates or is inclined in the direction of the length of the axis of the cam. A pin or roller f45 engages the groove of the cam and is fastened to the sliding plate B2. To reach the cam it passes through a longitudinal slot in the cross-bar A. After the hooks have been engaged withthe threads r the cams h6 will raise them. In the upward movement the extremities of the hooks will be brought under pins bw, which are supported by the sliding plate B2, they extending forward from a bar b, secured by brackets to the said sliding plate B2. The threads if will thus be brought up against the under side of the pin 1910. The springs ZJ are used so that the hooks maybe forcibly raised against the pins Z310 without liability of breaking any of the parts through inaccuracy in fitting them together. The threads n will be clamped between the extremities of the the hooks B and the pins Z910. Vhile theV threads if are thus held upward they are intended to be cut upon endless band-knives G G2. These endless band-knives are supported on pulleys g g2, mounted to rotate with shafts G, but which engage with these shafts by splines or feathers, so as to be free to slide therewith. To cut the threads o, these endless band-knives are caused to approach each other by the sliding` of the pulleys g g2 on the shafts G. It will be readily understood that the shafts G extend lengthwise of the machine and the endless band-knives crosswise. Only one of the shafts G need be positively driven, as the pulleys of the other may be rotated by the knives themselves. The shaft G, which is positively driven, has a bevel gear-wheel g affixed to one end and deriving motion from a bevel gear-wheel g3, affixed to a shaft g4, which is journaled in one of the side frameset the machine and provided with a belt-pully g5, by which motion maybe imparted to it. The adjustment of the pulleys g g2 is effected by means of levers G3, having forked ends provided with pins engaging circumferential grooves in the hubs of the pulleys. These levers G3 are fulcrumed between their ends to brackets g, secured to the side .frames of the machine, and are oseillated by cams Q7, mounted on studs g8, which are driven through gear-wheels Q9 g10 from the driving-shaft E.

TOO

IIO

These camsV g7 will be so timed that after the elevation of the hooks B and threads fu they will force the pulleys g g2 of the two endless band-knives toward each other far enough to effect the cutting off of the threads t: close to the tignres of the quilting between which they extend. After the performance of this work the cams Q7 will allow the pulleys to return to their normal positions, springs g11 being employed to effect this movement. After the return of the band-knives to their normal positions, but before the depression of the hooks B, the feed-rollers operate to move the quilted fabric sufficiently to present the series of threads t beneath the hooks. To make this clear I will call attention to the fact that in the pattern of quilting represented in Fig. 3 each row of the ornamental iigures is arranged opposite the spaces between the figures of the next adjacent row, so that alternate rows of the figures are in line. The threads l: and c connect the rows which are in line. The object of the movement of the feed-rollers just referred to was to advance the fabric sufficiently to bringl the threads U into position to be engaged by the hooks. This having been accomplished, the hooks B are lowered and the sliding plate B2 is moved still farther away from its normal position to bring the extremities of the hooks beneath the threads if. Afterward the hooks raise the thread o against the pin i110 and the band-knives are moved toward each other to cut olf the threads r. The feed-rollers now are free to move the fabric and the sliding plate is returned to its normal or starting position. These movements are accomplished by the shape of the cams already referred to.

To prevent the knives G G2 from contacting with the goods, I employ metal shields or plates H above the section di of the table-top and elevated sufficiently to allow of the passage of the fabric bet-Ween them and the said section of the table-top. These shields are stationary and may be secured to bars 71., fastcned to the side frames of the table.

Vith eaclrband-knife I combine a pair of grinders or Sharpeners I, which are made in the form of wheels, one above and one below a knife, and are mounted on shafts I', whereby they are rotated. These shafts I have affixed to them pulleys I2, which receive belts K, deriving motion from pulleys J, affixed to a shaft J. The shafts carrying each pair of Sharpeners I are supported by arms R, which are connected with a rod R, that is fitted in a rocking bearing r, provided in a bracketr, that is fastened to the under side of the tabletop. The rod R may be oscillated, as here shown, by hand to bring each Sharpener of a pair in contact with the corresponding endless-band knife to sharpen the same. The shaft- J belonging to each pair of Sharpeners has affixed to it a gear-wheel J2, which derives motion from a gear-wheel J3, which is affixed to one of the shafts G. In this way motion is imparted to the pulleys J, and thence to the Sharpeners.

The band-knives may be tightened by ad; justing pulleys or rollers Q20, against which they bear. These rollers are mounted upon studs, which are affixed in longitudinal slots provided in brackets Q21, fastened to the table A.

That I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, i.

l. In a cutting-machine, the combination `of one or more hooks, means substantially such as described for raising and lowering the same, means substantially such as described for moving them transversely, and an endless band-knife operating adjacent to said hook or hooks, substantially as specified.

2. In a cutting-machine, the combination of one or more hooks, means substantially such as described for raising and lowering the same, one or more stops against which the said hook or hooks may impinge when raised, means substantially such as described for moving the said heck or Ahooks transversely, and a knife operating adjacent to said hook or hooks, substantially as speci tied.

f5. In a cutting-machine, the combination of a number of hooks, a bar to which said hooks are connected and which is supported to reciprocate in the direction of the length of the shanks of the hooks` stops with which said hooks may contact when raised, means substantiallysuch as described for raising and lowering the bar, means substantially such as described for moving it transversely, and a knife operating adjacent to said hooks, substantially as specified.

4. In a cutting-machine, the combination of a number of hooks, a bar to which said hooks are connected and which is supported to move in the direction of its length and to reciprocate in the direction of the length of the shanks of the hooks, springs affording a yielding connection between said hooks and bar, stops with which said hooks may contact when raised, means substantially such as described for raising and lowering the bar, means substantially such as described for moving it transversely, and a knife operating adjacent to said hooks, substantially as specitied.

5. In a cutting-machine, the combination of a number of hooks, a bar to which said hooks are connected and which is supported to reciprocate in the direction of the length of the shanks of the hooks and also to move in a direction transverse thereto, stops with which said hooks may contact when raised, means substantially such as described for raising and lowering the bar, means substantially such as described for moving it transversely, and a knife operating adjacent to said hooks, substantially as specified.

G. In a cutting-machine, the combination of a knife, a number of hooks, a bar to which said hooks are connected and which is supported to reciprocate in the direction of the length of the shanks of the hooks, a shaft from which said reciprocating motion is imparted to the bar, and a support for said shaft, movable in the direction of the axis thereof, whereby said hooks may be made to receive a motion transverse to the length of their shanks, as well asin the direction of the length of their shanks, substantially as speciiied.

7. In a cutting-machine, the combination of a table or fabric-support having a recess, a number of hooks opposite the recess supported and adapted to reciprocate into and out of said recess, a rotary shaft and cams for causing said recrn'ocation, a support for said hooks, movable in a direction transverse to the length of the shanks of the hooks, whereby said hooks, after being depressed into the recess, may be moved lengthwise of IOO IIO

I[he recess, stops with which the hooks may Contact When reoproeated out of the recess, and a knife, substantially as specified.

S. In a cutting-machine, the combination of a table or fabric-support, a number of reciprocating hooks arranged adjacent thereto, a shield or plate arranged to be above the fabric, and an endless band-knife moving above said shield or plate, substantially as specified.

9. In a cutting-machine, the combination of a table or fabric-support, a number of reeiprocatng hooks arranged ad j acenrJ thereto, and a knife movable continuously in one direction at a distance from the fabric transversely to the length of the Shanks of the 15 hooks, so as to cut threads elevatedV by Said hooks, substantially as specified.

10. In a cutting-machine, the combination of a table or fabric-support, a number of reciprocating hooks arranged adjacentthereto, zo and two endless band-knives movable toward each other and transversely no the length of the Shanks of the hooks, substantially as speeied.

LOUIS SCHULTZ.

Vtnesses:

EDWIN H. BROWN, ANTHONY GEEF. 

